Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-04-03
VAN.FOSSEN SLIPS AWAY
( THE Ex-RAILWaYC oNpR ACTOR
SLs1s OUT OF REACH.

Their Claims How The Papers Came
Into Van Fosssn's Possession - The
Augusta Police Interview h"j. Branch
-Tne Savannah Officers That w emit to
Augusta Return without Their Man.
Nothing definite was heard yesterday
from G. W. Van Fossen, the ex-general
and railway contractor. j. j. Abrams,
Esq, who represented Messrs. Blanford
and Glow, the young civil engineers, SAID
last night that he supposed Van Fossen
was in PENNSYLVANIA. Neither he nor his
clients seemed to care any longer, as they
had received back their claims by mail.
They were forwarded by Maj. L. p.
Branch, OF Augusta, who was on the
train that carried Van Fossen away
Thursday night.
AS stated in Fridays MORNING NEWS
the train started while Mr.. Clio was try
ing to get Van FOssen out OF the car.
VAN FossEN's ARREST ORDERED.
AS soon as the engineer got back to the
Pulaski House that night he consulted
his attorney, and the following dispatch
was sent:
Ge1rOs N. Hood Lieutenant Of Police. Au-
9Hst0: Arrest and detain G. ". Van Fossen,
about feet I: black moustache, dyed; stout
left by night train. j. j. ABRAMS.
Following the above telegram was one
to Chief Twiggs;
See dispatch to Geo. Hood sent to- night. l
refer you to F. II. Miller. Van Fossen is
wanted for cheating aud swlndllng. Branch
is on same tram and can point him out. If
arrested wire me and will send officer with
warrant. j. j. ABRAMS.
Later in the night Mr.. Abrams sent this
to Lieut.. Hood:
1t is q matter of personal interest to me to
arrest Van Fossen. Look TO you to do 80 If 1t
can be done. Branch on same Train; knows
him well. wears wide rim beaver hat large
watch chain, dyed moustache. See F. Ii.
Miller. Answer at once If received first teie-
gram.
SKIPPED FROM SLEEPER.
Sergt. Cartledge was detailed to watch
the Central train on its arrival at Au-
gusta. The Chronicle says that as he
started through the sleeper ne was stop
| ped by the conductor at the door and told
that he could not 20 through, as some Ia
| dies were dressing at the end Of the car,
| and thus the Sergeant lost his prey.
| After looking round some time and
| not finding his man he was In
| formed that man answering the
| description to the one he wanted left the
! train in company with Maj. Branch. He
then FASTENED TO Maj. Branch's residence
|
Sergeant's hurried ring the servant said
that Maj. Branch had just come in and
had retired and could not be seen. Sergt.
Cartledge insisted, and the message was
carried to the MAJOR OF the great necessity
| of the Sergeant seeing him. He appeared
at the door, deshabille and barefooted.
MAJOR BRANCH GETS THE PAPERS.
The Sergeant quickly told his mission
and the necessity OF having Van Fossen.
| Mai. Branch told him that it was all
mistake; that he had the bonds and pa
pers and that he had told Van Fossen
that he could not get out Of Georgia, and
even il he did get to Pennsylvania they
could bring him back. He said that
would ruin him. he said, further, that
he had more on Van FOsser than the
| Savannahians and that ne could not get
| away. He would send a telegram to MIR.
johnson and if, when they received an
answer, Times were not satisfactory ne
would point Van FOssen out to them.
Mr.. Branch then wired Mr.. L. Il. john
| son at Savannah:
Van Fossen is here. he turned over War
| rem contract, twenty bonds and his construe-
| tion contract to me. Do you still want him
| arrested
WHAT THE PAPERS WE'RE.
The Warren contract referred to was
an agreement made between Col. Warren
and Van Fossen when the latter went
through the form OF buying Col. Warren's
interest in the road. AS Van Fossen
never fulfilled his part OF the agreement
Col. Warren wanted to get the contract
out of his possession.
1t has since turned out that Van Fossen
turned over the papers belonging to the
engineers at the same time he gave up
the contracts and bonds to Mai. Branch,
which was at Millen. When that was
learned yesterday they did not care what
became of the alleged manager of the
alleged United States Railroad Coastruc-
ton Company. He probably left Au-
gusta Friday night. Constable Endres.
| who went to Augusta with a warrant for
him, is expected back this morning.
SCARED BY KILOGRAMS.
A telegram sent TO the conductor on
the train Thursday night, and which Van
Fossen probably got an inkling OF, to-
gether with the kilograms sent to the
police at Augusta, evidently frightened
him into settling. AS long as arrest was
not threatened he deceived the engineers
and put them off, but when the matter
was placed in the hands OF an attorney
he quickly skipped, but did not escape.
Messrs. Glow and Blanford's claims
amount to about 1900. Van Fossen rep
resented to them that he had $4,000 of
the Savannah, Dublin and Westerns
stock and the contract 20 build the road
President Linderman states that he never
| transferred any stock to Van Fossen.
Neither the company nor any gifts direo-
tors were interested in the Van Fossen
episode, but they were really benefited
| by the papers which he turned over to
| MIR. Branch.